Chapter 366

From then on, Weining took charge of both military and political affairs, enforcing the law with strictness. There was not a single god who did not hold her in awe. Yet she was not rigidly severe; she was also well-suited to listening to the opinions of others. If anyone could present arguments based on the Heavenly Statutes and the General Statutes—whether it was the Queen Mother, a junior official, or even a lawbreaker—as long as their reasoning was sound, Weining would readily accept their advice and commute the sentence according to the law. Furthermore, she treated all military officers of the Heavenly Court equally. Regardless of personal ties, closeness, high rank, or low position, she invariably administered rewards and punishments strictly according to the statutes, without wronging or leniency toward a single person. Within a year, the regulations of the Heavenly Statutes, the penalties of the General Statutes, and the rulings of the Mansion of the Judicial God had deeply taken root in the hearts of the people. To mention the Heavenly Statutes was to mention the General Statutes; the two blended together seamlessly and became inseparable. Weining's prestige grew day by day, and once an order was issued, no god dared disobey. Up and down the Heavenly Court, the gods regarded her with a mixture of awe and admiration.